Find Planting Zones and Growing Zones for the U.S. and Canada
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The Plant Hardiness Zone Map was updated for the 2024 gardening season with the addition of thousands more local weather stations. Look at your growing zone or gardening zone to understand which plants can survive your area’s climate. Did your planting zone change?
What Are Planting Zones?
When choosing perennial plants for your garden, it’s important to select varieties that can thrive year-round in your area, especially in regions where extreme winter temperatures are normal. Planting zones generally define which plants can survive winter in your area, and zones are typically listed in plant growing guides for reference.
The two most commonly referenced hardiness zone maps are those produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRC). Different measures are used to create each country’s map, as explained below.
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Zone maps are not absolute; if you find the information contradictory to your own experience, you may live in a microclimate. Soil, moisture, humidity, heat, wind, and other conditions also affect the viability of individual plants.
Find Your USDA Planting Zone
Considered the current standard measure of plant hardiness, the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map is based on average annual minimum winter temperatures. The map is divided into thirteen distinct 10ºF zones, which are further divided into subzones of 5°F.
Check the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map below, or visit the USDA website to find out exactly which zone you live in!
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Note: The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was just updated in November 2023, the first update since 2012. According to the USDA, the new 2023 map uses data from 13,412 weather stations compared to 7,983 from the previous map. Compared to the 2012 map, the 2023 version shows that half of the country moved up to a warmer zone (including much of Alaska) while the other half stayed in the same zone.
The scientists are using 30 years of long-range data and more sophisticated computers for a more accurate map, especially in challenging areas such as mountain zones and Alaska, which may have been rated too cold or warm in prior map iterations. Learn more about the updated map here.
How to Use Your Planting Zone
Planting zones are most helpful to gardeners growing perennial plants since they live beyond just one growing season, regrowing each spring. Perennials need to be able to survive winter in your area, so it’s essential to know how cold it typically gets in your area and whether a particular plant is hardy enough to survive those temperatures.
Perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees grow best when planted in the appropriate zone. You’ll find that winter damage occurs most often when plants are out of their range or comfort zone. When you choose plants for a garden or landscape, avoid selecting plants that are only marginally hardy for your region; that’s when you’ll see winter damage, poor growth, and a reduction in flowering.
Planting native species is a surefire way to achieve a stable garden. See our article on natural landscaping.
For annual plants, like most vegetables and some flowers, it’s far more important to pay attention to things like the length of your growing season and the typical dates of your first and last frosts. (See local frost dates here.) Because annuals are only meant to last the length of one growing season, planting zones don’t necessarily factor into the equation.
NRC Canadian Planting Zones Map
Unlike the USDA map, which is based only on minimum winter temperatures, the planting zones map produced by Natural Resources Canada considers a wider range of climatic variables, including maximum temperatures and the length of the frost-free period. However, the NRC also produces a map that shows plant hardiness zones for Canada based on the USDA extreme minimum temperature approach. Click here to see both Canadian planting zone maps.
Check out a simplified version of the official Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zone Map below, then go to the Natural Resources Canada website to find out which zone you live in!
Click here to see the full Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zones Map.
Another key part of successful gardening is knowing when your frost dates are. Find your local frost dates here.
What are your thoughts on planting zones? Are they accurate? What gardening zone do you live in? Let us know in the comments below!
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Kitty, if you don't believe there is climate change going on you are blind. The real question/comment is.. Is it caused by man.. and can man reverse it?? That moves to your second comment which is spot on. NATURAL climate change has been going on for thousands of years
Weather goes in approximately 10 year cycles. We will get 10 years of colder weather, then the next 10 years we get warmer weather. It has been happening this way for millions of years. The OFA used to show this theory. But they have been captured by the hoax.
Your lost in a cult, while all those that push the agenda are flying around in their private jets, making millions in profit off the hoax, and have been telling you the world is going to end for 20 years. They say anything and everything to fit the narrative, from global warming to global cooling to it's the ozone layer, no it's acid rain. They want to rid the world of carbon, that means humanity and just because your in the cult you are not to spare. Your mind is numb with liberalism. I hope you are prepared for what they have coming next. Population reduction for you and the rest of the masses, while they sleep well in their man made bunkers.
Well said, Lion. It's all about control. The controllers don't want us to be self sufficient. Don't be surprised if in the future, we won't be allowed to grow our own food. Food that grows on plants that need Carbon Dioxide!
Exactly!!! And don't forget the rocket ships destroying the ozone layer (in the 60s). That will be their next hoax, because of Elon.
Kitty and Lion need to adjust their tin foil hats.
AGREE with you Paul.
Follow the Money and that is why Climate Change, Global Warming, the coming ice age (in the 70s) is why they push this hoax. The Elites and rich are making money on the hoax.
And you, sir, need to take off your blinders...
Ohhhhhh, so the addition of weather stations has changed the weather where I live from historically cold and snowy to recently mild and rainy! Got it. Way to tip toe around the real reason FA. Yes, GW is real folks.
